There's an interesting discussion on how one defines privilege happening at Phoebe's blog. I think she raises a good point about privilege being relative, but there's an over emphasis on economic advantage -- what most people outside the social justice community think when they hear the word "privilege."
I grew up solidly working class. Neither of my parents went to college (though my mom went back in her forties); three of my grandparents didn't finish high school. Learning a trade was "making good." For most of my childhood, we didn't own a car, which isn't a huge tragedy living in a city, but when I tell people that, the overwhelming response is "Oh my god, you must have been really poor." But I never considered myself poor. To the contrary, I went to private schools and didn't want for much (though I knew not to ask for much). I know better than to call myself disadvantaged, even if I didn't have as many resources alloted to me as someone whose family had more money, greater status, and higher expectations.
I didn't write that to establish myself as some special little snowflake; I don't think my experience of having this while lacking that is unique at all. It's easy to get caught up in "all privileged" or "all disadvantaged" talk that one can forget that privilege isn't linear.
I think we can get really caught up in analyzing privilege, but you're right that it's a sliding scale and not an absolute. In socially progressive circles, recognizing one's own privilege is seen as a good thing because then you can "own" and unpack it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it's also possible that people identify as privileged simply because it makes them feel better. If they're middle class, at least they're better than the "poor." If they're poor, maybe they're white, and racially privileged. If they're poor and nonwhite, maybe they're straight and cis, and they still can feel superior to someone else. It's so much easier to deceive yourself and tell yourself pretty things about what your station in life is than to admit the truth.
The truth, as I see it, is that anybody who has to work for a living is not well off. Most people in this country have no idea how much wealth the truly wealthy have. If you have to work for a living, especially if you're employed by someone else, then you don't have true financial independence. Someone is exploiting your labor for profit.
If everyone who was truly economically underprivileged identified as being underprivileged, ironically we would have a much easier time reducing privilege. But it's the fact that it's so much more pleasant to think to yourself that you are high and mighty, than accept the reality that you are not, that the real elites in this country are counting on.